This work was written in 1855 during Liszt's period in Weimar and is contemporary of many of the symphonic poems. Originally written for organ, Liszt reworked it for solo piano in 1871. This fantastic piece epitomizes the strengths and the weaknesses of full blown romanticism: It is brilliant, unstable, full of sudden climaxes and equally sudden calms, violently extroverted moments turning to deeply pensive withdrawals. The opening Fantasy launches into the theme without preamble and works itself to a frenzy in the first ten seconds. It reaches three climaxes in the first two minutes before coming to a complete stop.

After an alternation of pensive meditations and sweeping scales, the fugue opens quietly using as its theme the B-A-C-H motive, which is a perfect justification for extreme chromaticism and shifting tonality. The piano version is amazingly powerful.

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